


Fear and cake

by SleepyEye



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Anxiety, Comfort, Dissociation, F/M, First Time, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:40:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26956708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepyEye/pseuds/SleepyEye
Summary: I’m not doing fictober, but I’ve been inspired reading all of your amazing works
Relationships: Robin Ellacott/Cormoran Strike
Comments: 11
Kudos: 69





	Fear and cake

Cormoran felt the exact moment Robin switched off. He couldn’t pinpoint what had changed, but one minute she was there in his flat, kissing him, touching him, and the next she was gone. He pulled back, and for a moment she resisted his absence, still going through the motions. 

“Wait, Robin. Wait.”

She looked at him blankly, then sighed, dropping her eyes to their feet. 

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? Fuck that. What are you sorry for? Come here. Come on.” He took her hand and led her to the edge of the bed. They sat. He studied Robin, who couldn’t meet his eye. She was hunched over, holding her elbows. He wanted to ask her what had happened, but he knew she didn’t want to say. She didn’t want to be the fragile one, the victim, traumatized by all the violence she’d experienced. He knew how that felt. He knew…

“I’m really… Listen.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I’m really fucking scared, Robin.”

She looked up at him, confused. 

“I meant what I said before,” he went on, “You’re my best friend. And believe it or not I’ve never made out with a best mate before.”

Robin huffed out a laugh.

“Not even Nick?”

“Sadly, he says I’m not his type.”

“Picky bastard.” She ran her hands through her hair. “I’m scared too. Well, as you probably guessed.”

“I sensed you weren’t with me one hundred percent.”

Robin bit her thumbnail, smiling a bit sadly.

“I thought I was getting better at hiding it,” she said. 

“Yeah well. I’m a detective. It’s what I do. And I’m glad for it, because I don’t want you to hide anything from me. Nothing. You hear me?” He tried to meet her eyes, but she blushed and looked at her hands. He put a hand on her chin so that she was looking at him. 

“Robin. I want to read you cover to cover. I want to know everything. Not just the fun easy parts.”

Now her eyes were bright with unspilled tears and she bit her lip. 

“Please, love. Talk to me.”

“I’m afraid of saying yes to something now that I can’t say no to later.”

“You mean in regards to sex? Or commitment?”

“Both?” She shrugged. “What if we have sex and it’s weird and awkward and then we’re stuck?”

“It would be a very adventurous position if we got stuck,” Cormoran said. Robin couldn’t suppress a smile. 

“Sod off.”

“I know what you mean,” he said, “You’re the… the best.” He wished he was better with words around her. Usually he knew exactly what to say in any situation; that was his job, after all. He talked truths out of people. He rarely shared truths about himself. 

“Look, Robin, I will take whatever you give me, and I will be so happy with it. You’re like… like cake. I’m happy with one slice. I’m happy with the whole cake.”

“What if I give you a slice of cake and then take it away? Before you eat any? Wouldn’t you rather I didn’t offer it to you at all?”

“I’m happy with crumbs. Hell, I’m happy with just looking at the cake. I’m happy with  _ smelling _ the cake.”

Robin giggled.

“Are you wishing you’d gotten me the cake scented perfume?”

“Next year.”


End file.
